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In case you missed it, LinkedIn has a new
feature called " Endorsements." It allows users to endorse
skills or expertise of any members in their network --
including skills they haven't listed. This allows potential
networking partners to quickly identify your strengths.

So, how should you take advantage of this new feature? Before you
send a mass email asking your entire network for endorsements,
remember that networking -- first and foremost -- is about
connecting people with value. Whether it's through your
expertise, or someone's skill, your goal should always be to
bring value to your network.

Consider these three tips for using endorsements on LinkedIn:

1. Endorse others first and endorse
fairly.
Begin by endorsing your network first, before asking for
endorsements from others. By doing this, you'll equip others to
see where their strengths lie. But this also means you have to be
brutally honest.

Don't just click on all the skills someone has listed. Really
think about it and only highlight those areas of expertise you'd
be willing to put your reputation on the line for. As a bonus,
the people you endorse will be notified about your actions though
LinkedIn, which means they may return the favor.

2. Keep it easy for your 'inner circle.'
Everyone has a professional inner circle of about 10 to 20 people
we can call at any time to ask for a small favor or advice. These
are the people we should be approaching first, but it should be
personal and easy.

Send your inner circle a personal e-mail, or give them a call and
ask if they've heard about the new endorsements feature on
LinkedIn. Then let them know that you've already endorsed them
(step No. 1) and you'd appreciate it if they could pick one or
two skills of yours to endorse. Not everything -- just one or
two. That's how you can keep it personal and easy.

3. No mass e-mails.
The last thing you want to do is send an e-mail blast to everyone
on your list. A mass email asking for a favor is likely to feel
like spam and be ignored.

If you're going to send an e-mail to multiple recipients, try
segmenting your network into different lists according to how you
met them or what industry they're in. You can then write a
personal e-mail to a specific group, telling them that their in
your (fill in the blank) group of people and feel they best
understand your expertise in (fill in the blank) and would
appreciate an endorsement -- if they feel you deserve it. This
kind of approach demonstrates you've taken the time to consider
them specifically.